Method and devices for protecting commercial goods against theft

Abstract

The invention relates to methods and devices for protecting an article against theft. Once a protection element is in the on-position, a selection signal is transmitted from an emitter to a receiver provided in the protection element, in order to associate the protection element with the emitter and to shift said protection element into a connection mode. The receiver is then deactivated in the connection mode. The deactivation of the receiver reduces the energy consumption of the protection element, and prevents the protection element from unintentionally receiving other selection signals. Once the protection element has been shifted into an alarm state, for example, due to an attempted theft, the receiver thereof is reactivated, in order to reauthorize the reception of a selection signal. The alarm state can be terminated by one such selection signal.

1. A method for protecting a commercial product against theft, in which a security unit has a monitoring mode in which theft protection is active such that a theft attempt will cause the security unit to switch to an alarm mode in which at least one of an acoustic and optical alarm is activated, the method comprising:
 deactivating, in the monitoring mode, a receiver housed in the security unit; and 
 activating the receiver when the security unit is shifted to the alarm mode, wherein the security unit has an on-state mode in which the receiver is activated and wherein the security unit is shifted from the on-state mode to a connect mode in which theft protection is not active when the receiver receives a selection signal from a transmitter, wherein the receiver stores the selection signal in a memory, whereby the security unit is assigned to the transmitter or its selection signal, respectively. 
 
     
     
       2. A method for protecting a commercial product against theft, in which a security unit is connected to a central unit outside of the security unit via connectors, and in which the central unit has a monitoring mode, in which theft protection is active such that a theft attempt will result in a shift to an alarm mode in which at least one of an acoustic and an optical alarm is activated, the method comprising:
 deactivating, in the monitoring mode, a receiver that is housed in the central unit outside of the commercial product; and 
 activating the receiver when the central unit is shifted to the alarm mode. 
 
     
     
       3. A device for protecting a commercial product against theft, comprising:
 a security unit including a monitoring mode in which theft protection is active, wherein a theft attempt will result in the security unit shifting to an alarm mode in which at least one of an acoustic and an optical alarm is activated; and 
 
       a receiver housed in the security unit, wherein the receiver is deactivated in the monitoring mode and activated in the alarm mode, and
 wherein the security unit has an on-state mode in which the receiver is activated and wherein the security unit is shifted from the on-state mode to a connect mode in which theft protection is not active when the receiver receives a selection signal from a transmitter, wherein the receiver stores the selection signal in a memory, whereby the central unit is assigned to the transmitter or its selection signal, respectively. 
 
     
     
       4. The device pursuant to  claim 3 , wherein in the connect mode in which theft protection is not active, the security unit is prepared for a shift to the monitoring mode. 
     
     
       5. A device for protecting a product against theft, comprising:
 a security unit connected to a central unit, located outside of the security unit, via connectors, the central unit including a monitoring mode in which theft protection is active and a theft attempt will trigger a shift to an alarm mode in which at least one of an acoustic and an optical alarm is activated; and 
 a receiver housed in the central unit, wherein the receiver is deactivated in the monitoring mode and is activated in the alarm mode, wherein the central unit has an on-state mode in which the receiver is activated and wherein the central unit is shifted from the on-state mode to a connect mode in which theft protection is not active when the receiver receives a selection signal from a transmitter, wherein the receiver stores the selection signal in a memory, whereby the security unit is assigned to the transmitter or its selection signal, respectively. 
 
     
     
       6. The device pursuant to  claim 5 , wherein in the connect mode in which theft protection is not active, at least one of the security unit and the central unit is prepared for a shift to the monitoring mode. 
     
     
       7. The device pursuant to  claim 5 , wherein the security unit is equipped with a bracket component for attachment to the product. 
     
     
       8. The device pursuant to  claim 7 , wherein a monitoring is activated via an attachment of the bracket component to the product. 
     
     
       9. The device pursuant to  claim 7 , wherein the security unit is equipped with a mounting component that is connected to the bracket component via connectors for mounting the unit to a mounting point. 
     
     
       10. The device pursuant to  claim 9 , wherein a monitoring is activateable by attaching the mounting component to the mounting point. 
     
     
       11. The device pursuant to  claim 7 , wherein the security unit is connectable via connectors to the central unit, and wherein a monitoring is activateable by connecting the security unit to the central unit. 
     
     
       12. The device pursuant to  claim 5 , wherein the transmitter is configured as a remote operating system that transmits signals to the receiver. 
     
     
       13. The device pursuant to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the security unit and the central unit comprises a volatile memory for storing a selection signal. 
     
     
       14. The device pursuant to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the security unit and the central unit is equipped with at least one of an optical and an acoustic signal generator. 
     
     
       15. The device pursuant to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one optical signal generator includes light-emitting diodes. 
     
     
       16. The device pursuant to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one acoustic signal generator includes piezoelectric transducers. 
     
     
       17. The device pursuant to  claim 5 , further including a housing that is at least partially translucent or transparent that houses at least one of the security unit and the central unit. 
     
     
       18. The device pursuant to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the bracket component and the mounting component are equipped with a measuring loop formed by at least one sensor. 
     
     
       19. Device pursuant to  claim 18 , wherein the measuring loop of the bracket component and the measuring loop of the mounting component are connected in series. 
     
     
       20. The device pursuant to  claim 18 , wherein the measuring loop is opened when an attempt is made to separate at least one of the bracket component from the product, the mounting component from a mounting point, and the bracket component from the mounting component. 
     
     
       21. The device pursuant to  claim 18 , wherein the at least one sensor is designed as at least one of electrical sensors, capacitive sensors and optical sensors. 
     
     
       22. The device pursuant to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the bracket component and the mounting component are provided with an adhesive layer for at least one of affixing the bracket component to the product and for affixing the mounting component to the mounting point. 
     
     
       23. The device pursuant to  claim 22 , wherein the adhesive layer includes a double-sided adhesive strip. 
     
     
       24. The device pursuant to  claim 22 , wherein the adhesive layer adheres more strongly to at least one of the product and the mounting point than to at least one of the bracket component and the mounting component. 
     
     
       25. The device pursuant to  claim 22 , wherein the adhesive layer is provided with a grip tab. 
     
     
       26. The device pursuant to  claim 18 , wherein the at least one sensor is integrated at least partially into the adhesive layer. 
     
     
       27. The device pursuant to  claim 9 , wherein a battery compartment is provided in at least one of the mounting component and the central unit. 
     
     
       28. The device pursuant to  claim 7 , wherein the bracket component is provided with a first mounting point and a second mounting area, wherein the second mounting area is more flexible than the first mounting point. 
     
     
       29. The device pursuant to  claim 28 , wherein a material thickness at the first mounting point is greater than a material thickness at the second mounting area. 
     
     
       30. The device pursuant to  claim 9 , wherein the mounting component is equipped with a retractor device. 
     
     
       31. The device pursuant to  claim 9 , wherein the connectors include a cable. 
     
     
       32. The device pursuant to  claim 9 , wherein the mounting component is at least one of suspendable and latchable in the bracket component. 
     
     
       33. The device pursuant to  claim 9 , wherein the mounting component and the bracket component are coupled by a magnet.